


A Family Matter

by Comicfan



Category: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Grandma is mighty mad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-01-28 22:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21399616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comicfan/pseuds/Comicfan
Summary: Batman had decided to talk with Ma Gunn. He hadn't considered what she might say to him in return.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	A Family Matter

It took Faye "Ma" Gunn some time to finally acknowledge him. Not because she had been unaware of his presence but rather she had purposely been delaying their confrontation just to spite him. Calmly reading her newspaper and sipping her drink in the comfort of her kitchen to ignore the dark knight. In the end her patience was better than his and he finally broke the silent stalemate first.

"Gunn."

"Man child." She greeted without glancing in his direction.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The absurdity of his question made her lift her gaze, the man really was dense. 

"I was trying to read my paper before you decided to break into my home."

"You're a known criminal." He said it like that was all the justification he needed to invade her privacy.

"And you're a vigilante that dresses up in a bat onesie and thinks he's above the law." Her eyebrow quirked over her glasses as she took in his stern expression. "Still, once a hypocrite always a hypocrite."

Faye doubted he'd ask her for clarification, either way she was in no hurry to explain herself. It would come in time once he finally got to the point of his visit. Batman was fairly easy to understand, despite all of her connection in Gotham's underworld the man was only interested in one thing: their boy. As loathed as she was to admit it Jason was a common thread between them. Hers by blood and his by chance. A child they had both mistreated and negected.

The difference was that Faye regretted her actions while Batman gave no indication that he was aware of his wrong doing. She felt nothing but contempt for people like that, she had known people like that. Usually the elite of Gotham, the rich and powerful like the Sionis. Perhaps she had even been like that at one point.

"What do you get out of this? Out of manipulating him?"

As expected he never acknowledged her statements and arrogantly assumed he held all the power.

"If you expect me to answer any of your questions you better change your damn tone. I'm not someone you can beat into submission. At my age you'd likely kill me and then even your pet Gordon would turn against you. My house, my rules. Either you sit down and remove that stupid mask so we can have an adult conversation or you can leave empty handed. Your choice really, because I'm not going to humor you otherwise."

Batman stared at her obviously taken aback by the demand.

"What? You really think I didn't know after you made him Robin?" Faye gave a very unlady-like snort and folded her arms against her chest. "Hurry up and decide because I'm not getting any younger."

He stiffly sat and after a pause removed his cowl. His searching gaze scanned over her unimpressed expression noting her lack of surprise.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here making demands. I'm not manipulating Jason into doing anything."

"You tried before and succeed with others." He reminded not willing to completely back down. 

"So have you." It wasn't a snappy comeback just a sad truth. "I recall you once telling me that children shouldn't be used as my privite army...when you recruited your own child soliders. I was never certain if you were trying to be ironic."

"You could have been family to him then." It was the first time that night the man said anything in a soft tone. He sounded like a little boy that couldn't fathom how cruel the world really was. Sorrowful and confused, someone who was desperately trying to understand.

"I know, but by then I don't think I could. Not just for selfish reasons, though I did consider the options at least once. Letting Jason be with the family, growing up with his cousin Faye. I had a lot of excuses, I kept delaying it but I suppose I just figured I was too set in my ways. What's your excuse?"

"I took him in." The slightest defensiveness in his voice made her expression harden.

"And you were a good parent to him? Have you made sure he has a life outside the damn mission as Jason Todd? Do you have any idea what he's gone through?"

The man's silence was answer enough for her.

"For what it's worth...I think he was happy for awhile but it never lasts long, does it? He never really fit into either of your worlds. Too much of a Crime Alley kid for the high life too stubborn to be the perfect solider. I would love to spend the night berating you but let's cut to the chase. What do you want? Not just from me but from him."

The man seemed to be momentarily at a loss for words, without his usual crutch of being Batman his vulnerability shone through. Faye almost felt sorry for him (almost) but the abuse of her grandson wasn't something she could forgive. Jason and his friends had tried to keep her out of the loop but she knew what Batman had done. Just as she knew all of it could have been prevented if she had taken the boy in and quit her criminal ways. When it came to Jason Todd the sad truth was that there was always enough blame to share for his misery.

"I want him to be happy." 

She would have missed his soft reply if she hadn't been straining her ears to hear him. There was sincerity to his words and that only served to anger her further.

"Do you? You never seem to particularly care about his feelings. All that matters is what you want."

It was his turn to openly glare at her. "You're hardly one to talk. You've done nothing for, Jason. He was just another pawn in your scheme." 

"I never claimed to be a saint. I haven't forgotten my sins but I am making efforts to make amends. If such a thing is possible." It wasn't much but Faye tried in her own way. "I've made it clear to Jason that my home is always open to him no matter what."

Setting down her mug with a loud thunk Faye bestowed him with a disapproving look before continuing. "No strings attached. He will always have a place to go or if he choses it a home. Not just because I owe it to him. That's what family is supposed to do for one another. Be there for each other...**_unconditionally_**."

She allowed herself a chuckle at the man's expense. Having him as the city's supposed savior was a terrible joke.

"You still judge others based on appearance...he's just an outlaw to you. If Jason didn't tell you otherwise I never would have been caught. You saw a lost homeless child and decided to mold him into something else. But Jason has always been his own person, hasn't he? Not as easy to control as others. Somewhere along the way you took it upon yourself to 'fix' him. I don't think it ever occurred to you that Jason isn't some broken toy or misbehaving pet. You of all people aren't fit to judge anyone!"

Faye felt her temper rising the longer to stared at him, the man who had taken it upon himself to adopt her grandson. The man who had failed that boy time after time and never seemed to give a damn. Hot treacherous tears welled up and threatened to fall. All they did was blur her sight because Faye refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"I can't let Jason get lost to the darkness again. I made an error in judgement but I acted in what I thought was his best interest because I care." His voice was hollow and his body seemed to deflate in on it's self the longer he spoke. 

"You have a disturbing way of showing it." The Superman clone had told her how Batman had been hurting Jason. Bizarro hadn't quite understood what happened but the description had told Faye enough. The injuries Jason had suffered were brutal for anyone much less for someone wearing body armor. "What about _**your**_ darkness? You take in these children and think that gives you the right to do this? Don't give me that look. I've acknowledged what I've done wrong in the past. Can you do the same?"

There was a pause before he replied in a tired tone:

"I went too far."

"No shit." Faye never believed in mincing words when someone pissed her off. The man sitting across from her was just lucky she hadn't been there during the beating. "No wonder the Joker finds you so amusing. You're utterly ridiculous. A grown man in a costume that thinks he's fit to lecture others on morals."

"...Are you looking after him?" Such a huge man shouldn't have sounded so small.

"If he'd let me I would, but no. Strangely he doesn't trust easily, especially those that previously wronged him." The pointed glare succeeded in making him look away. If the topic wasn't so personal Faye would have loved being able to cheer at that victory. Of all the enemies he had faced over the years Ma Gunn had made him blink.

"It's about high time you accepted the facts. You are the one in the wrong not Jason. If he doesn't want you in his life you can't force him to accept you. Whether either of us can get a second chance is entirely up to him. Personally I don't think you deserve another shot. If I had my way you'd be dead the moment you hurt him. But as I said it isn't up to me."

"Do you think you deserve another shot?" He sounded genuinely curious in her reply.

"Probably not." It was a honest answer, one he obvious didn't think she would admit. "Not what you expected? Oh I'd like to have an opportunity to make it up to him and be family--really I would. But I know what I did...I realize how much I harmed Jason and children like him. He has every right to reject me and not let me be part of his life. He'd likely be happier if he never forgives us and moves on."

It was a hard lesson to swallow for a parent, Faye didn't like it yet she accepted it.

"That's why you didn't tell him? Because you feared being shut out of his life?"

She picked up her cup to take another shot while she stared him down. Once she finished draining it Faye placed it back on the table. "Do you only _**detect**_ the most obvious answers? We have already established that when it comes to Jason your deducing skills take a dive but try to keep up. That's like me asking why you weren't the one who undid Jason's legally dead status. We both know the answer to that one: control. Makes it easier to put him on a leash and act accordingly."

"You think you have me all figured out?"

"All the important bits that I need to know at any rate. You're a goddamn moron. A man with countless resources that has no concept of family or personal boundaries. Yes, you do a great deal for people while parading around looking like a jackass. Fine, I'll admit that much. What you've done to Jason? That's disgraceful and in my eyes unforgivable. I don't care if he's no longer a child in your 'care.' Or that he lives a life of danger on a daily basis. You took him in, made him part of your family then treated him like--"

To her shame her voice cracked with emotion and years of repressed sorrow flooded in. A flicker of sympathy lit his eyes which only ignited her fury.

"Do you remember your parents?" Faye hoped it still hurt him to hear them mentioned. "Would they be proud of their son for taking a child in, making him fight crime then beating him worse than you ever beat any criminal you fought? Does that make _**you**_ proud?"

"Keep them out of this." His tone was soft while his eyes were as hard as stone.

"Would you rather I speak to whatever guardian raised you after they died? Because they--"

She saw it coming ever since she mentioned his parents. In truth Faye didn't believe he would have hit her if she had given him the chance. He had been reaching for her wrist no doubt banking on her fearing him twisting her frail bones. In his eyes she was just another criminal to intimidate.

The only reason she had striked first was because she had been expecting it. The impact of the hit unbalanced him and he fell onto the floor like a puppet who's strings were cut. Shock and confusion won out over anger as he gingerly held the struck cheek. Faye couldn't blame him, having an old woman knock Batman on his ass was pretty unbelievable. That was why she still kept her brass knuckles.

"Don't touch me. I'm not one your idiotic costumed rogues gallery! If not for Jason I would have killed you when we first met! Now get the hell out of my house!" Pulling a hand held gun out of her purse she aimed it at his head as he retrieved his cowl. "If you recall I'm legally allowed to shoot anyone who breaks into my house."

Batman got as far as the doorway before he glanced back at her.

"If...If he does give you another chance don't let him down."

She ignored the lump in her throat and said: "I won't. ...If he doesn't want you around anymore leave him alone."

All she received was silence, he turned and left looking like he had just fought all the masked criminals in Gotham...and lost.

Feeling her resolve crumble Faye sank back in her chair and stared at the photo in her wallet of a very lonely boy that always put others first. It was a shame that no one showed him the same kindness.

**Author's Note:**

> Just to be clear Bruce wasn't going to hit her but this takes place in a possible future after Alfred died. He does not want her speaking ill of him.


End file.
